Borders of Insanity
by Vibrant-Blue
Summary: What does a teenager do when he ends up in a universe where robots make crude sexual jokes and dictators purchase equine companions made of diamonds? Join the Vault Hunters and tackle Pandora's dictator Handsome Jack and his Hyperion corporation of course! 3rd Person Self Insert, R&R if you enjoy!


**Borders of Insanity****  
Chapter 1-The 6th Ranger... Kinda**

**AN-I debated if this should be 1st or 3rd person. I decided on 3rd as my other main SI is in 1st. And bad news with my Power Rangers story, I basically don't have the Dino Thunder episodes anymore for some reason so it is on temporary hiatus. I have a feeling I lost them when transferring files, I will continue only if I can find reliable sources again.**  
**This is replacing my Power Rangers slot of updating; I will attempt to post one chapter for this, and then one for Rise from Ashes.**

**Omake is present at the end, referencing to a rather fun glitch which most should know.  
Anyway on with the show! (Sorry for the stupidly long author's notes!)**

* * *

You don't expect to fall asleep in your room, then to wake up in another. The most common of these scenarios however is if you've been kidnapped or have an extremely kinky partner.

But despite that one does not expect to awaken on a train with a massive sign labelling a company called Hyperion above you with the words "Welcome Vault Hunters!"

Matthew jolted awake as the train lurched around what felt like a very big bend, his eyes sweeping over the carriage he was currently in. A gruff muscular man sat opposite, both brown haired and eyed. He looked to be ex-military by the looks of it, and was eyeing Matthew curiously.

Further down on his side of the carriage were two women, one with surprising blue hair, grey eyes and intricate tattoos on her left arm to boot, whilst the other had red hair in short pigtails with contrasting green eyes, and a metallic looking arm? The two looked to be around mid-twenties and late teenage years respectively and were in deep conversation.

Sitting near to the ex-military man was a short, almost midget of a man with a relatively short yet dark turquoise shaggy beard and hairstyle to match with brown eyes. His face, overly muscular body and clothing showed signs of battle and as a result gave him an overall 'don't mess with me if you want to live' look.

And last but not least was a thin, athletic man dressed in black shadowy attire, his helmet and overall design of his armour was sleek and gave no signs of the man's true appearance.

As the 16 year old stopped looking at the occupants of the carriage he began rubbing his temples. Any form of fogginess that was in his eyes was now completely gone.

But the same couldn't be said for his mind... 'God why is it so fuzzy?' He thought. 'Where the hell am I? Why does Hyperion, and for that matter these people feel so familiar to me?'

He let out an audible groan as he saw brief flashes, memories maybe? He still remembered the important stuff like family, friends and education. 'But why is this happening?'

"You alright there?" The teenagers head snapped up as the man opposite him finally talked.

"Uh, yeah just dandy..." He said uncertainly as he brought his hands away from his head.

"You've been snoozing ever since me and the others got on here," he explained. "Dangerous thing to do, unguarded on Pandora..."

Pandora?

The teenagers thinking process immediately focused on those words. The same constant fog blocking any attempts at recollection. Despite this brief flashes made it through.

'Blue skinned aliens?' He thought as a memory surfaced, he then looked around again, 'Nope, not that Pandora. Defiantly not.'

"You sure you're alright?" The military man asked once more.

"Sure I, well... No... I'm not" Matthew said, sadness clearly evident to anyone who was listening.

He shook his head, smiling slightly at the predicament currently presented to him. "Might as well tell kid, every single one of us on this damn planet has some sort of problem!"

"So Pandora is a planet?" He wondered out loud, and winced at his own stupidity.

"Kid, what the hell did you snort before coming on here?" He asked in a flabbergasted tone.

"I don't know how I got here..." He started, his entire body trembling at the situation. "I don't know squat about Pandora, I don't..." His voice cracked, "I don't know who the hell I am..."

The man shook his head again, this time his previous smile was replaced with a grimace. "Sounds like an extreme case of amnesia. If what you say is true, you're in for a rough time."

His words caused the teenagers head to be once again in his hands, he lightly tapped the side of his head hoping that it would help him recall why everything was so familiar. As his hands ran through his hair he noted that his fringe covered a majority of his forehead.

"What's your name, kid?" He asked in a grave tone.

"Matthew..." Matthew answered automatically, not bothering to look up in his own current sorry state.

"Names Axton, ex-Dahl Sergeant and a specialist with turrets." The now named Axton introduced himself. He reached across, gesturing a handshake.

The distraught teen shook his hand, trying to keep it as a strong firm handshake, but it came off as flimsy and weak due to the revelation that had occurred to him, that in the most simplest of terms he was screwed.

"I assume Dahl is some sort of military group huh?" He asked after the rather weak handshake.

"Yeah, they occupied this planet along with the Atlas Corporation before the opening of the First Vault." Axton explained.

"Uh huh, what did this 'Vault' hold?" Matthew asked, aware of the 'Vault Hunter' sign above them.

"Nobody really knows, Handsome Jack, head of the Hyperion Corporation never said..." He pointed up to a cartoonish picture of 'Handsome Jack'. "But ever since the opening, the whole planet has had this sudden abundance of Eridium all over. But despite that it's still rare."

"So are there more Vaults?" Matthew asked as Axton had suggested the possibility of more.

"There are indications... That is why we are here." He answered, indicating to the others on the train. "Jack sent a message out, every world and colony, 'Vault Hunters wanted'!"

"So your freelancers?" Matthew asked, looking at the clothes he was currently wearing. Black jeans, an equally black buttoned short sleeved shirt, covering a contrasting long sleeved red t-shirt. A brown trench coat was beside him and looked like it would fit him.

"I think every one of us is here for our own reasons, some by choice, and others not so much." He observed, then turning his head to the teenager.

"Yeah I guess you're right, I know I fall into the latter of those options." Matthew mumbled. The train lurched again and he looked up out of a small shutter, white blinded his view and he assumed it was snow. The weather of course intrigued him and he asked about it, along with the area.

"Pandora has seven year winters and three year summers. The first colonisation efforts didn't know about the hibernating natives and were massacred." He explained before moving on, "I do know Pandora has a desert area, tundra grasslands along with this area we're travelling through at the moment, and a volcano?" He said, sounding uncertain about the last location.

Matthew nodded, taking note of the brief description of both the planets areas and wildlife. He slipped into the trench coat by his side, he didn't know if the trains stopped in this area but he wanted to be prepared.

"When I first got on the train, I met Maya, the one with the blue tattoos." He told the teen whilst pointing her out. "She proposed that we both work together to hunt down this second Vault. As the others got on we asked them the same question. So now I'm asking you, will you become a Vault Hunter? Will you join us?"

Matthew's eyes widened at the turret specialist, shocked at the proposal to join the group. "My God, you're not joking are you?"

Axton chuckled. "We'll at least you have a sense of humour."

"You're insane."

"Why's that?" He asked the blue eyed teenager.

"For all intents and purposes I could be lying to you and later stab you in the back." Matthew argued.

"I'll give you my reasons for asking in a bit, can you use a gun?"

Matthew rubbed the back of his head as he recalled. "Uh, yeah took a basic gun course once. Air Rifles, Shotguns, Pistols..."

"That kinda experience can be the difference between life and death on this planet, are you in?" The Commando asked once more.

The teenager shrugged, "Not like I have any other option huh?"

"Yes?"

"Yes." He echoed in response. "Now explain why you asked me?"

"All of the other carriages are filled with those abandoned when Atlas and Dahl pulled out, bandits." He explained. "And besides, you might be a good cook?"

Matthew chuckled in response and rubbed the back of his head, "Uh, I have some experience..."

"Much better than the others."

At this point the train shuddered and Axton looked out of one of the windows, a full blizzard was raging outside.

Then the screaming started.

It pierced the relaxed atmosphere of the mostly sane Vault Hunters carriage. The sergeant who had dubbed himself the 'Commando' quickly stood, his posture was one that was ready to either fight or run.

Seconds later what appeared to be two yellow crates began to jerk, then mechanical limbs began to sprout until what was left in the crates places were two yellow robots with four limbs and a glowing red eye.

"What the hell is that?" Matthew asked as he jumped up from his seat.

"Is your UI HUD not picking it up?"The blue haired women, Maya asked as she cautiously walked closer to the two males, and the two robots.

"UI?" He asked, eyes still glued on the yellow robots.

"User Interface." she explained before looking to the Commando questionably, who merely whispered "Amnesia."

"Here," She said as she passed a spare interface and echo to the teenager. "I'm Maya by the way."

"Matthew" He replied. Matthew readily accepted the devices which Maya quickly showed him how to attach. He stumbled back as the HUD attacked his vision before stabilising.

"Whoa..." He said as the HUD began to work, flickering at points. He looked once again at the robot, his new UI registering it as a Hyperion Gun Loader. "Why is it flickering?"

Both of them simply shrugged, they didn't specialise in the technologies of the UI's. "How the hell did you get your hands on a spare UI?" Axton asked as Matthew adjusted.

"Dead priest." The Siren dead panned.

"Uh, back to the matter at hand!" Axton said hurriedly. The rest of the group had gotten up and made their way over to find out what the disturbance was.

"What is up, amigo?" The man with stunted growth asked the Commando.

"Maybe the bandits are getting lively?" The girl with a mechanical arm guessed.

"Oh yeah," Axton tapped one of Matthews shoulders, "These guys are Salvador, Gaige and Zer0."

"Hola!"

"Hi!"

"A new boy wanders/Generous friendship flows/A leap to a new life."

Matthew's face displayed the look of confusion, while the others slightly more accustomed to the assassin's speech patterns simply shook their heads. Before they could greet each other any further there was a loud BANG from behind them.

The sign that had previously stated "Welcome Vault Hunters!" had fallen thanks to the two loaders. And what was hidden beneath chilled all of the Vault Hunters to their bones.

The blue calm of the previous sign was replaced by a hellish red. The cartoon image of Handsome Jack was replaced by a replica, only this time with devil horns. The new message continued on from the last, "...To your Doom! Nothing Personal!"

The GUN Loaders made several unintelligible mechanical noises before pointing their arms at the group of Vault Hunters. Guns revealing themselves in the process.

And then they fired.

The Vault Hunters took the option to either dive away from the gunfire or run for it.

Axton, Maya and Salvador chose to run for it, the silent assassin Zer0 simply turned invisible while the two more inexperienced Vault Hunters dived into cover. Matthew to the left, Gaige to the right.

"Damn it!" Matthew cried out as several bullets whistled past him from his cover. The red-head expelled schoolgirl on the opposite side of the carriage had un-holstered a Revolver Pistol, and was pressed up against her piece of cover trying to avoid any shots coming her.

Suddenly several bullets from another source flew by, impacting the robots and sending them back several paces. An explosion occurred, and the two teens turned to see Axton reloading a rocket launcher and a hovering turret nearby.

"Where the hell did he pull that out of, his ass?"' Matthew yelled over the gunfire. Gaige didn't respond as all of a sudden a massive gaping hole was created further down the carriage near where the others had run. Several loaders were sent flying out into the ice wastelands in the process.

Salvador decided at that moment to swing back into the carriage, how he got out in the first place was beyond anyone. Two Assault Rifles in hand as he made the Loaders eat led, a manic smile plastered on his face.

Zer0, taking advantage of the new environmental change took down his cloak and swung outside onto the roof of the train.

"Do you even have a gun?" Gaige shouted over to the 16 year old.

Matthew shook his head, moments later a dull camouflaged Assault Rifle was thrown over to him, which he swiftly caught. His new UI recognising it as a Dahl Assault Rifle of the Carbine variety, 5 round burst in white text. It was hard though, despite reassurance that he would adjust to the User Interface it still flickered occasionally making his job identifying the gun a tad more difficult.

"Thanks!" He shouted, checking the weapons over quickly before looking around the corner to see more robots advancing. He aimed the gun and fired upon the walking death machines, the first burst while not doing much damage allowed him to accustom and get a better feel for the weapon.

Gaige ducked out of cover as Matthew slid back in, keeping the advancing force little time to recover and get closer to their position. They continued like this until the two robots had fallen. Both made sure their guns were fully reloaded before looking to the others who had finished off their opponents.

Wordlessly they went through the next carriage, picking up ammo as they went. None of them feeling any remorse for their destruction on the robots, even Matthew. After all they all knew that these were synthetic beings and didn't really count as an Artificial Intelligence. The carriages ahead held the massacre that the Loaders had bestowed upon on the Bandits, many sprawled on the ground, obviously dead in a bath of their own blood. Each carriage giving the feel of its own individual horrors. They all gagged, except Zer0 at the sight and smell, but acclimatised to it.

"What was that back there?" Matthew asked Gaige as they traversed through the carriages. The atmosphere one could compare with a horror movie.

"What? The robots attacking us?" She replied.

"Yes, but not just that. How the hell did Axton pull out that launcher from nowhere?" He questioned her, the others slightly ahead of them.

"Digistructing, duh." Was the punk girl's short answer.

"Yeah ok, what?"

"You don't know?" She asked confusion etched on her face.

He couldn't reply though, Axton talked up as they gathered at the door to the next carriage. "This is the final carriage, interrogate the driver, and stop this train." Axton instructed. "I'm gonna kick down the door, I want you guys to cover my ass. Especially you Salvador, you have the biggest amount of gun power."

Salvador nodded, bringing his two assault rifles up aiming at the door as Axton got into place. The others taking up position, various guns raised and ready to fire.

"Breach!" Axton kicked down the door, and when no resistance was met walked through. The others followed suit whilst staying alert, Matthew and Gaige instinctively hanging back. Both being the most inexperienced.

What was in the carriage gave them all goose bumps; every available space beyond the driver's seat was filled to the brim with explosives.

"Damn that's a whole bunch of bombs." Maya whispered, calculating the possibility of survival if said explosives blew up directly in their faces.

Suddenly the chair that held the driver slowly spun around, the group had believed the driver was a real person but was surprised to see a dummy of Handsome Jack turn around to greet them, a recording of the man himself then ran.

"It's cute that y'all think you're the heroes of this little adventure, but you're not." The recording mocked. "Welcome to Pandora kiddos!" The speech then cut, leaving an ominous chill in the air. But was quickly replaced by hundreds upon hundreds of beeps, coming from the many explosives littered around the carriage.

"MOVE!" Axton yelled, the group didn't make it far despite the commando's instruction.

The carriage exploded, hurling them all in different directions as they briefly lost all sense of gravity before physics decided to assert itself once more.

* * *

**OMAKE**  
Once the gang of Vault Hunters had reached the old and mostly defunct Atlas mining ship known as Sanctuary, they had commandeered a house that was luckily empty. A long day laid ahead of them, journeying into the Firehawk Lair to rescue the Crimson Raiders leader Roland.

Once settled it was Gaige who first noticed the Golden Keys on one of the numerous cabinets in the house. Picking one of them up her mind clicked, was this key able to unlock that Golden Chest near the Fast Travel Station!?

"Guys, look here!"

Axton was the first to appear, still in his gear. "What is it?"

Gaige, in response held up the Golden Key and gestured to the others on the cabinet.

"Are those..."

"The keys to the Golden Chest near the Fast Travel Station? I believe so!" The girl with a mechanical arm and killer robot answered with a grin.

Axton nodded a manic glint in his eyes as he eyed the key. He quickly gathered the others and they made their way to the loot chest.

"So what's this about?" Matthew asked, his brown trench coat sweeping behind him as the group trudged into the fast travel building.

"Gaige found this Golden Key in the house; she made the connection between the keys and chest."

"Interesting..." The group turned to look at the assassin. This was one of the few times he had spoken, the first not in a haiku.

Maya, the first to get over the assassins speech patterns gestured to the Golden Chest, "Well shall we open it instead of dawdling here all day?"

Now that the group was out of their stupor Gaige moved forward, she got down onto one knee, twirled the key in her hand and stabbed it into the keyhole. And turned.

The whole group, even Zer0 held their breath in anticipation. The key suddenly dissolved but its job was done, the chest un-latched and sprung open.

Inside was a Torgue Explosive Revolver, and a Vladof Shock SpinGun. Their Echo HUD's recognising the weapons as purple, one of the most rarest and most powerful gun types.

"It's like Hanukkah!" Gaige squealed as she picked up the SpinGun. "Can I keep it, can I keep it!? Huh? Huh?"

Maya arched an eyebrow as Gaige hugged the weapon in her arms. She looked at the others who shrugged; they were trying to decide if they should be concerned over Gaige's worship of the weapon, or to break out into laughter.

"You might as well keep it..." Maya started before being interrupted by Gaige, who also began an attempt to hug the rather small yet powerful pistol. "And that too I guess..."

Salvador then decided to speak up as the chest closed up, locking itself in the process. "Did you say there were more?"

"Keys? Yeah..." Axton then trailed off looking at the now re-locked chest. He quickly disappeared only to come back moments later. He threw the other keys to the Vault Hunters excluding Gaige who was now checking her new weapons.

Axton did what Gaige had done minutes earlier and un-locked the chest; it sprung open and revealed more purple guns. Strangely enough matching his preference.

The next day, after exploiting the Golden Chest Maya awoke, got dressed into her combat gear and made her way through the house; looking to the cabinet she spotted six new Golden keys.

The Vault Hunters exploited the Chest again, getting even more goodies. Maya along with the rest of the group decided to contact Handsome Jack. Sick of his constant jabs at them with his strange equine companion 'Butt Stallion'. They had rigged one of their echo devices to a video capture device, making sure Jack knew what he was in for.

"Hey kiddos, what the?" The egocentric dictator of Pandora began, but was cut short at what was being displayed on the screen.

"You know how you said we would need a lot of guns?" Maya began as she walked into the view of the screen, an ultimately smug look on her face.

"Uh-wow, that's a lot of guns..." For the first time since hearing Jacks voice, he sounded scared.

* * *

**AN- Who else thinks that 'Radioactive' by Imagine Dragons is a fitting song for Borderlands?****  
Also I believe Borderlands 2 takes place in the year 5327. According to its wiki colonisation occurred in 5252. The original Borderlands took 70 years after the Atlas/colonisation efforts, add 5 years in-between games. If anybody actually knows please do tell, would be greatly appreciated.**


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